Assistive Technology

ROGER Soundfield Technology:

For those students with hearing difficulties, Emerald Secondary provides ‘ROGER’ Dynamic Soundfield Technology. These systems are matched with the college timetable so that they are in place in those classrooms where students with hearing difficulties learn.

The Dynamic Soundfield technology provides greater clarity for students with hearing difficulty by providing amplification of teacher instruction and support and through the reduction of ambient noise which can cause distraction.

C-PEN Reader:

The C-PEN is an assistive technology suitable for students with dyslexia, language disorders or low literacy levels. The C-Pen Reader is a totally portable, pocket-sized device that reads text out aloud with an English human-like digital voice.

The C-PEN can be held by a student in the same manner as a normal pen and can scan text and then read it to the student through the headphones that are provided in the pack. The C-PEN also has a dictionary function in built, so that when students come across a word they do not comprehend, they can scan the word, enter the dictionary setting, and the C-PEN will provide an immediate definition of that word.

It can also scan text, save it, and then transfer that text into the student’s computers, most likely in word document and power point programs. This will aid the students in note taking and in recording ‘textual evidence’ for essays and extended answer questions.

We hope that through the use of assistive technology, and specifically in this case the C-PEN, students may lessen the anxiety and trepidation that often comes with content and text heavy subjects. Essentially, the C-PEN can reduce the time it takes for students to complete entry and content based tasks so that they may move through units of study at the same pace as their peers, building independence and a sense of achievement in their learning.